Toronto Now - August 30, 2012

Police have called off the search for a possible missing swimmer in the water off of Woodbine Beach Thursday evening. They said they will continue to look for reports of a missing person.

Const. Rob McDonald of the Toronto Marine Unit said that children spotted the person swimming out to a buoy, around 3:10 p.m. An adult also said they saw the swimmer, he said, but when they looked back, the figure had disappeared.

There is no description for the swimmer, including age and gender, and no one has been declared missing, said McDonald. Reports from witnesses have also been conflicting, he said.

“We're going off the information we have that there’s someone in the water," he said. "The marine unit is dragging for potential victims and will continue to do so until we’re satisfied there’s no one there.”

The water search began immediately. Beach-goers linked arms and walked through water, searching for a reported missing swimmer.

By 4 p.m., the human chain had disbanded and several boats with police and fire department markings were in the water. While the weather was windy and the water was choppy, McDonald said the current is not strong.

A small portion of the beach was taped off, and about two dozen beach goers looked on. Earlier in the afternoon, people were still swimming in the lake.

Several items had been found on the beach, McDonald said, and police are waiting for beach-goers to claim them. It's not clear whether they could belong to the missing swimmer.

by edtbox8/30/2012 7:50:39 PM

3rd & 7 37yd

3rd & 7 37yd

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It’s a chilly start to a warm but windy summer day.

It’s currently 15°C and sunny, thought the temperature will steadily rise to a high of 30°C around 4 p.m. We’ll slowly cool to 21°C overnight.

A fair amount of wind is expected all throughout the day.

The highest temperature recorded on this date was 35°C in 1953, while the lowest was an astounding 1.1°C in 1965. The most rainfall on the books was a deep 80.8 mm in 1970.

Tomorrow’s looking a bit warmer, but cloudy.

by edtbox8/30/2012 10:23:38 AM

A Burlington home was completely destroyed in a fire last night.

Fire crews battled the blaze at 484 Delaney Ct. near Appleby Line and New St. around 11 p.m.

Flames engulfed the home, which was completely destroyed at a estimated loss of $500,000, though no one was injured.

Police say the family was away at the time and no one was home. The provincial fire marshall has been called to investigate.

by edtbox8/30/2012 10:23:53 AM

A man sustained minor injuries after falling over a hotel balcony in Oakville early this morning.

Crews were called to the Holiday Inn near the QEW and Trafalgar Rd. around 3 a.m. Police say a male tumbled from an internal balcony onto a pool deck.

They say alcohol was a factor in the incident.

by edtbox8/30/2012 10:24:59 AM

A young man was robbed and stabbed at Square One shopping centre in Mississauga this morning.

Peel police say a man in his 20s was standing at a bus loop near Moxie’s restaurant some time before 1:30 a.m. when he was robbed and stabbed in the back.

by edtbox8/30/2012 10:29:01 AM

Today marks the 24-year anniversary of Vicki Keith’s great swim.

The 27-year-old underwent a two-month, marathon swim of all five Great Lakes. She started her quest on July 1 and ended at the Leslie St. Spit after completing a record-breaking 38 km butterfly stroke.

Keith made the front page of that evening’s Star, seen above. The article describes her as “bloated and aching” but in good spirits.

Firefighters battled a strong blaze for about an hour on Stibbard Ave. called in by a neighbour who spotted smoke.

Firefighters were called to the two alarm fire at a house near Mt. Pleasant Rd. and Eglinton Ave. E. at 11:18 a.m. Thursday. Clouds of black smoke could be seen spilling through the building's windows.

By noon, an estimated 35 firefighters were working to extinguish flames coming from the roof. The fire was out around 12:30 p.m.

No one was home at the time and no injuries were reported, Capt. Adrian Ratushniak said.

The semi-detached house sustained more than $100,000 in damages throughout its three levels, Ratushniak said.

It is too early to determine the cause of the blaze.

by edtbox8/30/2012 5:07:10 PM

48 &111 diverting N/B Rathburn/West Deane; S/B Rathburn/The West Mall/Burnhamthorpe due to TPS investigation at The East Mall/Rathburn. #TTC

The small regional left Pearson at 12:40 p.m. with 73 passengers aboard and was en route to Newark , New Jersey.

It's unclear exactly what went wrong, but a spokesperson from Air Canada said that mechanical difficulties related to the engine caused some alarm to the pilot. As a precaution, he requested an emergency landing back at Pearson.

"Typically when they do this they ask for an emergency landing because it gives them priority," said Peter Fitzpatrick from Air Canada.

The plane made a smooth landing and was escorted to the gate by fire trucks. No passengers or crew members were injured.

by edtbox8/30/2012 5:56:37 PM

A 27-year-old man was arrested for allegedly impersonating a police officer and sexually assaulting a woman in a Mississauga park.

A man and woman were sitting in a parked car in Erindale Park near Dundas St. W. and Mississauga Rd. around 9:30 p.m. Monday when a man walked to the car, police said. He introduced himself as a police officer but didn't show a badge and wasn't in uniform.

Police say the suspect then ordered the man out of the vehicle, entered the car and sexually assaulted the woman.

Police arrested Fredy Fonseca Castandeda, 27, of Mississauga on Wednesday and charged him with sexual assault and impersonating a peace officer.

Investigators are looking into suspicions that Castandeda may have been involved in similar incidents in the past.

Castandeda will appear in court on Oct. 1.

by edtbox8/30/2012 9:27:52 PM

501 Queen and 508 Lake Shore streetcars delayed both ways on Lake Shore at Kipling due to a collision. #TTC

A female torso has been recovered in the Niagara River, but Niagara Regional Police say it the body is not connected to the murder of Guang Hua Liu of Scarborough.

The torso, which is missing the head and arms, was spotted by passerby floating in the Lower Niagara River near Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday, police said.

The torso appears to belong to a middle-aged Caucasian female. The woman had a pierced belly button and appears to have had at least one C-section and a tubal litigation, a female sterilization procedure. Police confirmed that the woman appears to have been murdered. The body is currently undergoing an autopsy at Hamilton General Hospital. Anyone with information is asked to contact Niagara Regional Police's Major Crime Unit at 1-905-688-4111 extension 4200 or Crime Stoppers.

Police in Peel Region and Toronto continue to look for Liu’s remains, including her torso.

The woman’s head, foot and two hands were found along the banks of the Credit River almost two weeks ago. An arm, two calves and a thigh were found around West Highland Creek in Scarborough shortly after.

Liu’s estranged ex-boyfriend has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with her death.

With files from the Canadian Press

by edtbox8/30/2012 10:28:19 PM

ALL CLEAR: The delay on Lake Shore at Kipling has cleared and service has resumed on the 501 Queen and 508 Lake Shore Streetcar lines. #TTC